The Second Date
by Kristen3
Summary: The last time Niles attempted to ask Daphne out, he couldn't do it. This time, he has a plan to overcome his nerves. Will it lead to the happy ending he wants?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**This story contains some minor spoilers for "First Date," but you should still be able to read it if you haven't seen the episode yet. I think I give enough backstory to make it make sense. Anyway, usual disclaimer, blah, blah blah. Many thanks to Andrea (iloveromance), whose story helped inspire many of the more "melt-worthy" elements of this story. Please R&R, of course! :)

Niles rang the doorbell at his brother's apartment. He had to admit he was a bit nervous about what he was about to do. But he knew it was a necessary step if he ever wanted things to progress between him and Daphne. A month had passed since his non-date "date" with her, and now he felt it was time to try asking her out again. Only this time, he had a plan which would hopefully keep his nerves from getting the better of him. Just as he was about to take a deep breath, the door was opened.

"Hello, Dr. Crane," Daphne said. "If you came to see your brother, I'm afraid he's already left."

"No. That isn't why I came."

"Oh," Daphne replied. "Well, your father's taking a nap, but I can let him know you're here, if you like."

Niles shook his head. "Actually, Daphne, I was hoping I could talk to you." He tried to ignore the way his heart was suddenly pounding.

"To me?" Daphne asked, blushing a bit. This was certainly unusual. "Well, come in." She stepped back to give him room to enter.

Niles stepped forward. "Thank you. I was hoping I could ask a favor of you. You see, I was hoping to have dinner with a very special woman, and -"

"Are you sure you're ready this time?" Daphne asked, remembering how his date with Phyllis had fallen apart almost before it started.

"Yes, I believe I am," Niles said. "I thought, since you did such a wonderful job the last time, you might come over and help with the meal. But if it's too much trouble-"

Daphne smiled. "I'd be glad to help, Dr. Crane."

"Wonderful. Would Thursday be all right for you? Say, around 7:30?"

"I think that would work," Daphne replied. "What were you planning on serving the lucky woman?"

Niles shrugged. "I've never been any good at that sort of thing. Being married to Maris, I never got much experience cooking for a woman."

"All right, then. Just leave everything to me. I'll look through me recipes and I bet I'll come up with something that'll be perfect for your big romantic evening."

While Mr. Crane was still napping, Daphne figured she might as well start going through her recipes. After ruling out the health foods she usually prepared for Mr. Crane, she wasn't left with many options. One of them was a recipe for a roast. In fact, it was the same recipe she'd made for Dr. Crane's last romantic dinner. She sighed, remembering. He'd gone to so much trouble to impress his neighbor, only to have her leave before dinner was even served. But the night hadn't been a total loss. Dr. Crane had surprised Daphne by asking her if she'd like to stay and have dinner. Daphne smiled as she remembered how Dr. Crane had listened to all her stories of growing up in Manchester, why she had come to America, and so on. She had almost felt bad for talking so much, but he didn't seem to mind. At least now Dr. Crane had apparently found someone new. She only hoped things would go better this time.

Daphne's thoughts were interrupted by Martin entering the kitchen. She turned when she heard his footsteps. "Oh, you're awake. How was your nap?"

Martin shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." After a moment, he nodded at the recipe cards Daphne had in front of her. "You trying to decide what to make for dinner?"

Daphne shook her head. "No. Dr. Crane asked me to prepare a special meal for a romantic evening."

"You mean Frase?" Martin asked, finding it impossible to believe Frasier would actually _want_ Daphne to cook for his date.

Daphne laughed. "Not him. Dr. Crane," she said, as if she couldn't believe he could ever confuse the two.

Now Martin understood. "Oh. You mean Niles. Well, that makes sense," he said. Martin had a hunch that there was more to this story than Daphne was aware of. He considered letting Daphne know what he suspected, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Daphne sensed that Mr. Crane had something on his mind. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Martin said. "Well...I guess I'll go see what Eddie's up to." He left the room, not quite sure what to do next.


	2. Chapter 2

Instead of going off in search of his faithful companion, Martin thought maybe he should offer a little fatherly advice to his younger son. He could tell this so-called "romantic evening" was yet another plan to win Daphne's heart. He knew how badly Niles wanted to be with her, but this was the wrong way to go about it. Martin walked into his bedroom. After shooing Eddie off the bed, he began dialing his son's office number.

Niles answered on the second ring. After hearing his father's voice, he said, "Oh, Dad, it's you. I thought it would be Frasier calling about a squash game."

"No," Martin said, not wanting to make small talk right now. "Daphne just told me about your so-called 'romantic evening.'"

"Oh," Niles said. He knew there was no point in denying it.

"Look, son, I know how you feel about Daphne, but this isn't the way to go about it," Martin said. He usually tried to stay out of whatever was going on between Niles and Daphne, but he could tell that this was a terrible mistake.

"Dad, I appreciate the advice, really. But I've thought this through. And technically, I never actually lied to her. All I said was that I wanted to have dinner with someone special. I just failed to mention that it was her."

"If you want to have dinner with Daphne so badly, why don't you just ask her out like a normal person?" Martin asked. He was beginning to get frustrated with his son. Why should he go to all this trouble, when Daphne would likely say yes if he just asked?

"The last time I tried that, I couldn't go through with it. But once she comes to my apartment, I'll tell her the truth. This is the only way I could think of to get her there," Niles explained. He hoped this conversation wouldn't go on much longer. A patient was due to arrive any minute now.

"I know you don't want to hear my advice," Martin said. "But when I was going with your mother -"

"Dad, I really can't talk about this right now. Just promise me you won't say anything to Daphne. I know what I'm doing."

Martin sighed. "All right. But this could end up blowing up in your face."

That afternoon, Frasier came home to find his father seated in his usual chair. "Where's Daphne?"

"I sent her out to get some more of those treats Eddie loves," Martin replied.

"What did you do that for? We have a whole box right in the kitchen." Frasier asked. Something was definitely up. He just wasn't sure what.

"Niles was over here," Martin explained. "He told Daph he's having dinner with someone special and he wants her to help with the cooking."

"So?" Frasier asked, not really seeing where his father was going with this.

Martin let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't you see? There _is_ no 'someone special.' He's just trying to get Daphne over to his place!"

"Ohhhh," Frasier replied, suddenly getting it. "Well, Dad -"

"I already tried to tell Niles this was a bad idea, but he wouldn't listen. He made me promise not to tell her."

Frasier thought for a moment. He hated the idea of Daphne being deceived, even if Niles wasn't trying to hurt her. And it would be even worse if Daphne broke his younger brother's heart. "If this doesn't work out, Niles will be crushed," Frasier said.

"Exactly what I thought!" Martin said, glad that Frasier agreed with him.

"Well, under the circumstances, maybe it would be best if Daphne knew the truth ahead of time. That way she could find a way to let him down easily," Frasier replied. "I'll talk to her tonight, after dinner."


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Frasier walked into the kitchen just as Daphne was finishing the dishes. Martin had gone off to McGinty's in order to give them privacy. "Daphne?" Frasier said, hoping he wouldn't startle her.

"Yes, Dr. Crane?" Daphne said, turning around.

"Dad told me what Niles asked you to do." Frasier hoped he could find the right words to tell Daphne what he had to say. She had never given any indication of how she felt about Niles.

Daphne smiled. "If you're thinking that it's going to interfere with me chores around here, you don't have to worry. I'll make sure your father's taken care of before I leave."

"I wasn't worried about that," Frasier said. "I think it's very sweet of you to want to help Niles out."

"Well, I figure your brother must like this woman an awful lot, if he's going to so much trouble just to impress her!" Daphne replied.

_You have no idea_, Frasier thought to himself. "I think you're right."

"And after all he's been through with Mrs. Crane, I think he's got a right to be happy for once," Daphne continued.

"Yes, he does," Frasier agreed. He couldn't help but be touched by Daphne's enthusiasm at the idea of helping Niles find love again. Maybe it was best not to say anything, and just let nature take its course. Whether or not she'd ever thought of Niles in a romantic light, Frasier could tell she at least cared about him a great deal. That had to count for something. "Thank you," Frasier said.

"What for?" Daphne asked, bewildered.

"For caring about my brother." Frasier quickly hugged her and kissed her cheek quickly before returning to his room.

After he left, Daphne returned to her cleaning. The entire conversation had been very strange. It almost seemed as if Dr. Crane had been intending to tell her something when he'd first come in. Daphne wondered what it could have been. Whatever was going on, it seemed she wasn't the only person in this house who was concerned about the younger Dr. Crane's happiness.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, just as Frasier was about to leave for work, there was a knock at the door. He opened it and saw his brother standing there. "Hi, Niles. What brings you here?"

"I know you're on your way to the station, but I was hoping you could give me that book you said I could borrow," Niles replied.

It took Frasier a moment to remember. "Oh, yes, the one on the history of the English theater. I'll go get it." He went off to his bedroom to retrieve the book.

Daphne came in from the kitchen. Just the sight of her took Niles' breath away. "Hello, Daphne."

She smiled at him. "Hello, Dr. Crane. Are you looking forward to your big date?" Niles was still catching his breath, so he just nodded. "What's this lucky woman's name? You never did say, you know."

Niles felt his cheeks begin to burn. He was afraid to risk a nosebleed by speaking, so the only thing he could do was pray she didn't notice.

"Why, Dr. Crane, you're blushing!" Daphne exclaimed, finding it adorable. "If you'd rather not say, I understand. By the way, I thought I'd make a roast, if that's all right with you. The last time I made it, it turned out all right, if I may say so meself." She winked at him, reminding him of the last time she'd tried to help him impress a woman.

"Yes, it was wonderful," Niles said. Thank goodness he'd regained the ability to speak, because Frasier returned at that moment, book in hand.

"Here you go, Niles." Frasier followed his brother's gaze, which, of course, was focused on Daphne. He could tell Niles was barely even aware he was in the room. "Niles?"

"Oh, right, the book. Thank you, Frasier." Niles took the book from his brother. "Well, I guess I should be running along. Nice seeing you, Daphne."

"Bye," Daphne said, waving as he left.


	5. Chapter 5

Niles felt his nervousness increase as he put the finishing touches on the dinner he'd prepared for Daphne. There were candles everywhere, just like the last time he and Daphne had dinner together. He was doing his best to re-create that night in every detail. Everything had to be perfect, because Daphne deserved nothing less. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Niles quickly walked over to the door, fully aware of how his heart was pounding. He opened it to find Daphne standing there, carrying a grocery bag full of ingredients for the meal she thought she was going to prepare. Overwhelmed with relief that she hadn't backed out, Niles impulsively hugged her. "I'm so glad you came!" The shock of the embrace caused Daphne to drop the bag she was holding.

Daphne was completely confused by Dr. Crane's reaction. "Of course I came, Dr. Crane. Why would you think I wouldn't?" Daphne asked as she pulled out of his embrace and picked up the bag.

Niles ignored the question. "Well, come in!" he said, stepping back and allowing her to enter. It was then that she noticed the candles.

"Oh, Dr. Crane!" Daphne exclaimed, unable to believe what she was seeing. She noticed the table, already set, and just waiting for someone to sit down. "Where did all this come from?" she asked, now more confused than ever. "I thought you said you needed my help!"

Niles took a deep breath. It was now or never. "What would you say if I told you the woman I wanted to have dinner with was already here?"

It took Daphne a moment to understand what he was talking about. "You did all of this for _me_?" she asked.

Niles nodded. "I was too scared to ask you out, so I figured if I told you I wanted to have dinner with someone, I could at least get you here." He hoped she wouldn't be upset that he hadn't been totally honest with her.

Daphne was speechless for a moment, still trying to take it all in. "You went to far too much trouble."

Niles smiled. "It was no trouble. Not for you."

Daphne blushed. "That's very sweet of you to say." She was still trying make sense of what was going on. She had thought she was simply doing a favor for a friend, and here she was being offered a romantic dinner she hadn't even expected.

Niles saw that Daphne was still overwhelmed. "Would you like to sit down?" He pulled the chair out for her.

Daphne took the seat he offered. "All right. Thank you. I still can't believe you did all this." Daphne gestured at the food in front of them.

Niles shrugged, as if this were no big deal. "It pays to know the chefs at some of Seattle's finer restaurants."

"But why did you do all this? I mean...I thought Phyllis..." Daphne asked. She had known Dr. Crane was a bit lonely since his divorce, and that he'd had trouble adjusting to the single life. But could he really be so desperate for companionship that he would actually invite his father's therapist over?

It took Niles a moment to remember what she was referring to. Of course, she still believed he was interested in his neighbor. Except for a few awkward encounters in the hall, he hadn't even seen Phyllis since that disastrous night. "Daphne...what happened the last time...I owe you an explanation. It's not what you think."

"An explanation? For what?" Daphne asked as she took a sip of the wine Dr. Crane had poured her.

"Do you remember when I told you about the woman I was in love with?" Niles asked.

Daphne nodded. "Of course."

"Only part of what I told you was true. She is beautiful, and she is sweet," Niles said. He couldn't help smiling at her. Just looking at her made it difficult to concentrate, but he knew he had to tell her the truth. "But...her name isn't Phyllis."

"It isn't?" Daphne asked.

"No. I just panicked when you asked her name, so I said the first one I thought of. The name I should've said was Daphne." There, he'd said it.

"Dr. Crane...you couldn't possibly mean..." Her mind was reeling. He had to know someone else named Daphne, maybe someone at his wine club or something. Because no other explanation made sense.

Niles reached across the table and took her hand in his. It made his heart beat even faster than he had thought possible. "Daphne, what I've been trying to tell you tonight...actually, for the past five years, is that I love _you_."

"Dr. Crane, I-" Daphne began.

"Niles," he said softly, correcting her.

"All right, then. Niles." Daphne smiled. It felt strange to say it. "No one has ever done anything like this for me in me whole life."

"Then I'm glad I could be the first one," Niles said as he stood. He took her hand and kissed it before sitting down again. Daphne was so surprised by the gesture that she could do nothing more than stare at him. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I've made you uncomfortable, haven't I? Please, forgive me."

"No, it's not that," Daphne said, still amazed. "It's just...I've never seen you like this before." This whole evening seemed like something out of someone else's life.

"Like what?" Niles asked.

"You've always been very kind to me, but never like this," she said, pointing at the food and decorations. "I almost feel as if I owe you something for going to all this trouble. I mean, not that I could ever do anything as nice as this, but still..."

Once again Niles covered her hand with his and looked her in the eye. "Daphne, all I want from you is your company. That's more than enough."

Daphne blushed "Oh, doctor...Niles." She smiled, still feeling awkward about calling him by name. Before tonight, she'd never thought of him as more than a good friend. But she had to admit, he was being awfully charming. She could easily see herself falling for him, but she wasn't quite sure if she should. Not only were their backgrounds as different as night and day, but there was also the matter of Daphne working for Niles' brother. What would Dr. Crane and Mr. Crane think about her dating a member of the family?

"It's true, Daphne. You don't owe me a thing. If anything, it's the other way around."

Daphne looked at him as if he were out of his mind. What on earth could he owe _her_ for, especially after he'd arranged such a special meal just for her?

"Don't you think I realize how much you do for Dad and Frasier?" Niles asked, amused at her confusion.

"But that's just me job," Daphne replied. "And besides, your father and I have our little disagreements from time to time, but I really do love him like he was me own."

"I know you do," Niles replied. "And you don't know how much that means to me."

Daphne blushed. She'd never realized Niles cared about her this much. It was a side of him she'd never seen before. But maybe it had been there all along, and she was only just noticing it. "Why haven't you told me any of this before tonight?" she asked.

"You mean, that I've loved you all this time? Well, of course, the main reason was Maris. And, after that, it never seemed like the right time. I wanted to tell you so many times." Niles hoped that she would understand how he felt.

Daphne tried to imagine what the past few years had been like for him. It must have been difficult, seeing her day after day, watching her go out on dates, and not being able to tell her how he felt. Before Daphne could stop herself, she leaned across the table and kissed Niles on the cheek.

Niles could barely believe Daphne had just kissed him. Even though it didn't seem to be a romantic gesture, it still made him dizzy.

When Daphne sat back down, she couldn't help smiling at the stunned, yet incredibly happy expression on Niles' face.

Niles tried to speak, but couldn't seem to put his feelings into words. After a few deep breaths, he managed to calm himself down some. "What was that for?"

"I just can't believe it...five years, and I never even had a clue," Daphne replied. "It's almost like a fairytale."

Niles grinned. "If this is a fairytale, then it has to have a happy ending." Niles stood and leaned forward. As soon as Daphne realized what he was doing, she did the same. They kissed, and this time there was no pretending it wasn't romantic. Their lips parted, and both felt their hearts race. "Well..." Niles said as he returned to his seat, struggling to catch his breath. "That was certainly worth the wait."

"I'm glad," Daphne said, smiling. Without warning, a single tear escaped from her eye and ran down her cheek.

In an instant, Niles was out of his seat and by her side. "Daphne, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He couldn't stand the thought of something upsetting her on what was supposed to be a romantic evening.

"I'm sorry, I guess it just hit me again, everything you've done for me, and how I can never repay you." Daphne said, sniffling.

Niles took her hand and stroked it with his thumb. Then he brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I already told you, you don't owe me anything. But...there is one thing you could do for me. Well, actually, two things."

"What?" Daphne asked, feeling embarrassed that she'd let her emotions get the best of her at a moment like this.

"First of all, smile," Niles replied. Daphne did, but he could still see tears in her eyes that looked like they were very close to landing on her cheek. "And...you could tell me you love me as much as I love you." He knew it was a risk, asking her to declare her feelings so soon, when she was so obviously vulnerable. But if there was even the slightest chance she loved him, he had to know.

Daphne looked at him and saw how much he hated seeing her cry. How could she not love a man who seemed willing to do so much for her? She thought of Frasier and Martin back at home. They both must have known what would happen here tonight, and they'd had their chances to stop her if they wanted to. So maybe she and Niles already had their blessing. "Yes, Niles, I do love you." Again, they kissed.

After they finally pulled away from each other, Niles thought about the times he'd dreamed of hearing those words from Daphne. Those dreams had been the only thing that kept him going while he loved her from afar. But tonight hadn't been just another fantasy. It was much, much better than that.

**The End**


End file.
